Water after the Moon
by InuKaglover815
Summary: A one shot based off Matchbox 20's song "3am." Written for my friend as a birthday present. Inuyasha is killed 150 years after the well closes and Kagome goes to live with Sesshoumaru for protection. Told solely from Sesshoumaru's perspective.


Water after the Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_, that privilege belongs solely to Rumiko Takahashi. Nor do I own the lyrics to Matchbox 20's song "3am."

"She's got a little bit of something, God it's better than nothing.

And in her color portrait world she believes that she's got it all.

She swears the moon don't hang quite as high as it used to.

And she only sleeps when it's raining.

And she screams and her voice is straining."

"Finally," Sesshoumaru said softly, looking down at the woman in his arms and sighing. "She's asleep."

Every night it was the same. Whenever he returned for the night from patrolling, he'd find Kagome curled up somewhere in the bedroom whimpering as she fought to stay awake. Tonight, she'd been cowering in a corner, her eyes glazed over in fear. She hadn't even seemed to know he was there as he'd picked her up and carried her to their futon.

_It is getting worse. _He thought as he brushed the hair from her face. _And yet, she still refuses to allow me to kill him for what he has done._

In the back of his mind, Sesshoumaru knew her predicament was partly his fault. It had been his insistence that Inuyasha settle the dispute with Abi that had led to the hanyou's death, thus leaving Kagome unprotected. He would never forget the day he'd found out.

"Where is Inuyasha?"

"He's not here," Kagome said, dismissing the young girl Sesshoumaru assumed was her newest miko in training. "He left three days ago. He said you'd summoned him."

"I did. There is a youkai to the south causing trouble for Abi. She requested my assistance, but I was busy with my own youkai uprising. Inuyasha was supposed to go in my stead, but he never showed."

"But if he's not there, where could he be? He wouldn't have skipped out on a summons from you."

"I do not know. Abi is furious however, so I suppose this Sesshoumaru will have to go dispatch of the nuisance within her lands."

"I would offer to go for you, but I can't leave the village unprotected. Kiana hasn't returned from visiting her family and Hikari just begun her training."

"I understand. I will send word if I find the hanyou."

Kagome nodded and Sesshoumaru exited the hut, walking to the outskirts of Edo before summoning his youki cloud. He'd barely gone twenty miles before Tenseiga's hilt began to shake uncontrollably and he'd stopped, sniffing the air for his brother's scent. He frowned when the only thing he smelled was a human village not far off. _What is it Tenseiga? Is he nearby?_

He followed Tenseiga's pull to a small hut within the forest. He glanced around, still unsure why his sword was reacting as if his brother was standing less than ten feet from him. He was about to give up and continue toward's Abi's when he felt reiki behind him. Turning, he came face to face with a miko.

"Tell me," he said blandly, ignoring the arrow pointed at his heart as he glanced at the miko. "Did a silver haired inu hanyou pass through here recently?"

"Oh, you're with him. I suppose I should have guessed given the similarities in your appearance. I'm afraid he's gone. I purified him for interfering when I was stealing a child from the village. And now you can join him."

She moved to release her arrow, but Sesshoumaru was faster. Releasing his whip, he decapitated her before her muscles could pull back on the bowstring. Walking into the hut, he searched for whatever had been drawing Tenseiga. He found Tessaiga leaned against a wall along with the rosary beads his brother had always worn. Wrapping the sword and rosary in cloth to prevent the barrier from scorching him, he once more summoned his whip and demolished the house, only returning to his youki cloud when the hut had been reduced to a hissing pile of dust.

He returned to Edo two days later, having dispatched of the dragon in the south as quickly as possible. He found Kagome in the shrine, telling a young girl about the Bone Eater's Well.

"Kagome," he said solemnly.

"Did you find him?"

There were few things Sesshoumaru had ever dreaded doing in life more than having to tell this woman that her mate of 150 years was dead. Unable to think of a way to tell her, he pulled the cloth covered sword from his sash and handed it to her.

"What's going on Sesshoumaru? Why do you have Tessaiga?"

"Inuyasha has been purified."

"Wh-what?"

"He was trying to save a human child from a dark miko and she purified him."

"You're lying!"

"Why would I lie Kagome?"

She shook her head and he could only guess the thoughts that were running through her head. She opened her mouth to respond, but just then, the rosary beads that had been in the cloth with Tessaiga fell onto the ground. Her eyes widened in horror and Sesshoumaru rushed forward to catch her as her knees gave out beneath her.

After that, he'd begun visiting Edo every so often to check on her. At first, he'd only gone because he'd felt responsible for her safety now that Inuyasha was gone. But after a few visits, he found himself going just to be in her company.

"Kagome," he said as he entered the hut where she was bandaging a villager's leg. "Can we talk?"

"In a minute Sesshoumaru,"

He opened his mouth to tell her that he didn't wait, but when he met her eyes and saw the frustration there, he nodded and left.

"So," Kagome said twenty minutes later when she joined him by the well. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask if you had given any more thought to my request."

"Sesshoumaru, you know I can't. I can't leave the village unprotected."

"This Sesshoumaru thought Kiana,"

"Kiana is still in training," she interrupted. "She can handle looking after the city for a few days, but she's not ready for the responsibilities of a full miko. And even if she was, this isn't her home. She is only here to train."

"I still think,"

"No. The village needs me."

"But you are not safe here!" he shouted, surprised by the volume of his own voice.

"Not safe?" She turned to look at him, shock evident in her expression as she stared at him in disbelief. "Are you forgetting who you're talking to? I am Kagome: destroyer of Naraku and countless other youkai. I'm the most powerful being for miles!" She ignored his scoff. "Why do you think this city has grown so quickly? People come to where it's safe. But more importantly, I…I can't leave." She turned away from him for a few moments and when she turned back to face him, she looked so drained that Sesshoumaru began to regret instigating this conversation. "I-I can't…it's too soon. I just lost my mate; don't ask me to leave everyone else I know behind too."

Nodding, he stood and began to leave, pausing to tell her that he would return in two weeks to check on her. He could hear her sobs as he walked out of the shrine and he cursed himself for shouting at her.

True to his word, Sesshoumaru returned two weeks later as well as two weeks after that. It continued this way for almost two months. And every time, he tried to convince her to move to the western fortress, she gave him the same answer. He admired her determination to keep those around her safe, but he also knew that now that his brother was dead, it was only a matter of time before something arose that she couldn't handle.

"Kagome," he said one day as they sat watching some of the villagers began construction of the well house.

"Please don't do this today Sesshoumaru. You know my answer."

"Actually, I was going to ask if you would consider allowing this Sesshoumaru to court you."

"What?" she said, turning to gawk at him before raising her hand to his forehead.

He chuckled in response. "Is this some human custom I am not aware of?"

"I was checking your temp. You must have a fever, you're talking crazy."

"I assure you, I am not ill." He brought his fingers to gently grasp her chin, lifting her gaze to his. She gasped as he lowered his lips to hers for a chaste kiss before standing. "Think about it," he said, leaving her sitting frozen behind him.

It took him almost two more months to get Kagome to accept his suit to begin courting her. During that time, he began visiting more and more frequently, spending more time with her than ever before. She was hesitant at first and he understood why. But he also knew that as his mate, she would be infinitely safer. He found himself remembering with increasing frequency that she was no longer immune to time. She would age and die without a mate. He used this to his advantage, reminding her that as his mate she would be able to live to see her family again.

It happened on his way home. He supposed he should have suspected something as soon as he smelled the wolf. He had been almost out of Edo when he'd sensed a flare in Kagome's reiki. He'd sped to where he'd left her by Goshinboku, snarling when he was close enough to hear her screams. He arrived to find Kouga had pinned her against the tree, his hands tearing at her clothing as she fought to escape.

He'd ripped the wolf from her, holding him in the air by the neck. He watched Kouga's face flush as his body tried to suck in air. It wasn't until he felt Kagome pull on his arm that he registered her voice.

"Please Sesshoumaru, don't kill him."

He ignored her, tightening his grip on Kouga's neck. Stepping in front of him, Kagome wrapped her arms around him.

"Please, I don't want his children to grow up without their father. Ayame can't support all those kids on her own."

He finally turned to look at her, his mask slipping for just a moment as he took in her disheveled form. "Are you aware of what you are asking? Do you not realize what would have happened if I had not gotten here when I did? He deserves to die."

"I know, but please, let him go."

He stared down at her, unable to fathom how someone could be so forgiving. He glanced back at Kouga, who was beginning to turn purple and his rage returned full force. "You will regret touching her," he growled, ignoring Kagome's sob as he summoned his poison into his fingertips and prepared to release it into Kouga's neck. The smell of her tears however, brought him to a screeching halt. "Kagome?"

"Please," she murmured, her face buried in his clothing as sobs wracked her body. "Let's just go."

"Alright." He flung Kouga's now unconscious form into Goshinboku, relishing the sickening crack that resounded around them as his body hit the trunk. Shrugging off his outer kimono, he wrapped it around Kagome before lifting her into his arms.

"You are coming to the western fortress," he said with finality. She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "I will send the miko from the village outside the fortress. She can take over your duties here." She nodded weakly and he summoned his cloud beneath them. He sat down, settling Kagome in his lap where she promptly curled into him, her eyes falling shut as her body gave out and she sank into unconsciousness.

She'd tried to avoid him. She'd insisted on having her own room—three halls away from his own—which she furnished completely with items from her home in Edo. He'd spent a fortune on the finest kimono in Japan, but she refused to wear them, preferring to wear what she had brought from her home—especially the solid red kimono that had Inuyasha's seal embroidered on the fabric. She also insisted on traveling to the village every day to perform the duties of the miko who'd traveled to Edo.

But no matter how much she'd tried, every night it became very apparent she needed him. The first night after her arrival, Sesshoumaru had been sitting in his study, attempting to finish some of the mounds of paperwork that always seemed to spawn on his desk, when she had rushed in, running to his side and burying her face in his chest. When he'd tried to ask her what was wrong, she'd shaken her head and buried herself further into his warmth. Later that night, when he'd tried to take her back to her room, she'd begged him to let her sleep in his room. He'd agreed, after all, who was he to deny her?

A few days later, when he'd gone patrolling for the first time since her arrival, he'd returned to find her sitting in the middle of his futon, shivering as she clutched the blankets to her.

"Kagome?" He'd said as he removed his armor and changed into his sleeping robe. "Why are you still up?"

Once again, she'd refused to answer, flinging herself into his arms the moment he'd sat down. As she'd cried herself to sleep, Sesshoumaru vowed to track Kouga down and destroy him. His inner youkai still demanded he kill the scum for what he'd done, but he'd known Kagome would only feel that much worse once she found out. And so, he'd forced himself to be content with thinking of beating the wolf within an inch of his life, reminding himself that there were fates worse than death.

It had now been eight weeks since she had come to live with him. He'd finally convinced her to mate him last month, but she'd made sure to tell him she was only mating him so that she would share his lifespan. They slept on the same futon every night—she'd given up on trying to sleep in a separate room weeks ago—but since that initial night when he'd placed his mark on her, she hadn't allowed him to do anything other than hold her. She said she wasn't ready yet and he understood. He was content that at least now she was safe from disease and the ravages of time.

She worried about him constantly, always begging him to be careful when he went out. He knew she was only worried about being left without a protector should something happen to him, but it still pleased him to hear her concern. And every night, when he returned to find a few more of her belongings had drifted into his room, he had to resist the urge to smile. He'd also found several of her things in his study, which made him wonder if she spent her days there whenever he was out.

The sound of rain outside roused him from his thoughts and he debated momentarily on waking the sleeping woman. Kagome loved the rain. In the warm summer showers that were so prevalent this time of year, he often found her outside his rooms, in his private garden, dancing to some unheard melody as she allowed herself to relax. He loved to watch her spin around; giggling as the rain drops splashed off her cooled skin and dribbled down into her kimono. She'd told him once that she only slept, really slept, when it rained and he knew it was because he didn't patrol when it rained.

She shifted in his arms and he looked down to meet her somber eyes. "You should go back to sleep," he said, brushing the hair from her eyes.

She shook her head and surprised him by placing a tentative kiss to his navel. "I don't want to be lonely anymore," she murmured as she untied her kimono—which he vaguely noticed was one he had bought for her.

"Are you sure?" he said, unable to move as she slowly crawled up his body. "Kagome?"

When she'd climbed level with his face, she leaned in and kissed him, silencing any other response he might have had. "Please," she said, breaking the kiss to nuzzle his neck. "Sesshoumaru, I need you."

He growled, pulling her back to him for another kiss. She certainly knew how to manipulate him. His inner youkai would never let him ignore a direst request like that. He pushed her kimono from her shoulders and gently guided her to lie back on the futon. He leaned back and looked down at her, enjoying the way she blushed under his gaze.

"Delicious," he murmured, watching as the blush spread across her body. Leaning down, he kissed her once more, before trailing his lips down to pay homage to her breasts. Her soft moans encouraged him as he took one of her nipples into his mouth. She writhed beneath him, her hands coming to tangle in his hair.

She breathed a broken version of his name and he released her nipple, looking up to see her eyes were closed in pleasure. His body was screaming for him to just take her, but he knew that wasn't what she needed. Returning his attention to her chest, he trailed kisses down her torso. He bypassed her core, choosing to instead continue his line of kisses down her thigh.

"Mine," he growled, placing an opened mouth kiss to her knee before continuing his journey down her leg. She merely nodded and he noted with satisfaction how her hands clenched at the sheets.

"Please," she whispered, her eyes opening for the briefest of moments before closing once more. He crawled back up her body, stopping momentarily to give her clit a lick before climbing back up the futon till he was eye level with her.

"Kagome, look at me." She opened her eyes and he kept his gaze locked with hers as he slowly entered her. "Don't close your eyes," he said as her blush intensified and she attempted to turn her head away. "This Sesshoumaru wishes to watch you become overwhelmed with pleasure."

She gasped and he started a steady rhythm, thrusting as fast as he dared. As their pleasure mounted, he flipped them over. He could tell she was confused and he wondered for a moment if she had done this with Inuyasha before shoving the hanyou from his mind. Settling his hands on her waist, he let her set the pace. She moaned as she lifted herself off of him, her hands coming up to massage her breasts.

He could tell she was close. He began pulling her hips down to meet his thrusts, loving the way she threw her head back as her face contorted in bliss. He raised his head to her breast, suckling earnestly on her nipple. He growled in pleasure as her moans filled his ears and the vibrations made her moan even louder. She screamed his name a moment later as her body ascended into her orgasm. A few thrusts later and he too reached his completion, roaring in ecstasy as the pleasure overwhelmed him.

When he finally returned to his senses, Sesshoumaru was somewhat surprised to feel Kagome's light kisses on his chest. Propping himself up on his elbows, he caught her gaze and raised his eyebrow, causing her to giggle. Reaching down, he tried to pull her to him for a kiss, but she surprised him once again by pulling away.

"Now it's my turn,"

As she slid down his body, her teasing kisses lighting a path down his skin, Sesshoumaru thought back to that day long ago in Edo when Kagome had told him she didn't think the moon hung quite as high as it used to. He'd told her perhaps the moon was trying to be closer to the water which had thus far refused him. _I suppose now it is the water's turn to chase the moon._


End file.
